


Sunrise on Mentanop

by Rivulet027



Category: Doctor Who (2005), Torchwood
Genre: Children of Earth Compliant, Episode Related, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-11
Updated: 2011-04-11
Packaged: 2017-10-17 22:55:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,115
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/182187
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rivulet027/pseuds/Rivulet027
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Post CoE. Jack shares a sunset with the Doctor and then a sunrise with Ianto.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Sunrise on Mentanop

**Author's Note:**

  * For [heeroluva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/heeroluva/gifts).



> Disclaimer: I own nothing to do with Doctor Who or Torchwood. Neither is my toy box. I'm merely playing.
> 
> A/N: Written for heeroluva who won 1500 words from me through help_pakistan. Thank you so much! She requested Jack brings Ianto back post CoE when he gets his own Tardis. Also much thanks to heeroluva for answering my questions as this helped very much with plotting. There were links. There must be thanks.

The Mentanop sky was a deep rich blue slowly darkening into a purple night as the sun dropped low on the southern horizon sending streaks of gold to highlight the fading day. Jack had been watching the sunset quietly, enjoying the hues, but wanting more. He laid his head on the Doctor’s shoulder, not wanting to jeopardize the slow build towards friendship their relationship had finally settled into. Jack told himself he shouldn’t voice that there was a different man he wanted to share this sight with, but then he’d never been one for keeping his mouth shut.

“You realize that you’ve ruined me,” Jack said, voice not accusing merely conversational.

“Ruined you?”

“Ruined,” Jack repeated, “I used to be your typical 51st century man.”

“I find it hard to believe that you were ever typical,” the Doctor told him.

Jack grinned, “Well, there is that, but I enjoyed who I was. I liked being a Time Agent.”

“You weren’t a Time Agent when I met you,” the Doctor pointed out.

“No, they screwed that up and it doesn’t even matter in the scheme of things anymore,” Jack decided before he pointed out, “but you did turn me into an honest man.”

“Honest?” the Doctor laughed, eyes shining with amusement at the thought.

Jack smiled in response even as he pointed out, “I was a Time Agent and while I could fool myself into it, we weren’t exactly the good guys. When I fell out with them it was almost natural to become a con man. Then I met you and Rose and my whole worldview got turned upside down. I was never supposed to be a hero. I was just using the Time Agency to find my brother.”

The Doctor glanced down at him and ran a comforting hand through his hair, Jack leaned into the touch.

“I could’ve…” Jack started, then stopped. He met the Doctor’s gaze, “Should’ve bought you that drink.”

The Doctor smiled as he repeated words from two lifetimes ago, “I’m worth it.”

“You are,” Jack agreed, “I just met someone else before I realized it.”

“You met many ‘someone else’s,’” the Doctor laughed.

Jack smiled at the memories his words invoked before he said, “I lost the one I needed more time with.”

“You always want more time.”

Even though he agreed Jack pressed on, “I can’t forget him.”

“What are you asking me Jack?”

“If I try to get him back will you try to stop me?”

“How are you planning to get him back?”

Jack pulled back to look at the Doctor. He smiled sadly, “There is a cure to the poison the 456 used. I fainted right after him. I can commission a body replacement. There was a brief moment when the video went out and we never really looked into it. After I came up with a plan to get Ianto back, I realized that was probably me making sure the past wasn’t changed, so I wouldn’t realize I’d get him back.”

The Doctor frowned and took Jack’s hand, lifting up his arm to look at his wrist strap, “Your vortex manipulator isn’t working.”

“You broke it,” Jack pointed out.

This earned Jack a confused look.

“I have my ways,” Jack smiled.

“This isn’t how I broke it,” the Doctor told him, “Jack, you have to realize…”

“Then tell me his death is fixed, that I can’t change it,” Jack challenged voice breaking.

“I’d be lying if I did.”

“Then tell me I don’t deserve to have him back after everything I’ve done since his death. I know my grandson’s death is fixed. I can’t have that, but I just might be able to have this.”

“Jack,” the Doctor started, then stopped, before he asked, “What happened to Alonso?”

“Taught him how to be a hero then sent him on his way. Ianto isn’t just replaceable…”

“That wasn’t my intention,” the Doctor interrupted.

Jack smiled faintly, “I know that, but what I was trying to say is that Ianto and I weren’t done and I can’t have my time with him end the way it did.”

“Are you justifying your plan to me or to yourself?”

Jack slowly smiled before he teased, “I’m not sure I like this new face of yours looking so serious, it’s too baby-faced for it.”

“You and River,” the Doctor muttered, “I’m older than…her.”

Jack grinned, gave the Doctor a hug and said his goodbyes, “Thanks for the answers.”

“I hope you find what you’re looking for this time.”

Jack paused, he never really did, but had to hope he could, this time.

~~~~*****~~~~~*****~~~~~

Jack’s head was pounding. He could feel his heart beating slowly in his head. Had he come this far only to realize that at the last moment that’d he’d truly lost Ianto?

Ianto’s heart was beating, his breaths were barely there and yet his eyes were still closed. He’d gotten him back physically, but what about Ianto’s mind? What if his memory of Ianto was idealized after all their years apart?

Now that his plan had succeeded Jack was suddenly seeing all the scenarios he hadn’t taken into account.

“You’re hovering,” Ianto told him, voice almost a whisper.

“Thought I’d lost you,” Jack said as he leaned forward and kissed Ianto.

“I thought you did too,” Ianto responded as he opened his eyes slowly. Ianto smiled at Jack, then frowned as he looked past him. He sat up slowly taking in the Tardis that they were in, “Sir?”

“You remember that piece of coral I said I was growing on my desk?” Jack asked as the way to an explanation.

“Yes,” Ianto said, eyes still taking in the ship.

“A few trips to the past, a careful eye on her and eventually I got my own Tardis.”

Ianto’s eyes snapped around to look at Jack, “Sir, what did you do? How long was I dead?”

Despite the worry in Ianto’s voice Jack was also able to see the possibilities flit slowly across Ianto’s face.

“You want to know everything,” Jack reminded, tempted, “Now we can find out.”

“Jack?” Ianto questioned again, pulling him close. Jack went willingly into his arms, “How long was I dead?”

“Not long,” Jack told him.

Ianto’s smile was sad as he cupped Jack’s face, “I’m not talking about me.”

“Too long.”

Ianto nodded as he used his thumbs to wipe the tears off Jack’s face, “I’m sorry.”

Jack’s barked out a short laugh, wanting at those words to kiss Ianto, but he wasn’t sure he was allowed and Ianto had made no move to kiss him yet. He’d stolen one already, but wasn’t prepared to steal another. Dying was never easy, this Jack knew, but he hadn’t been able to give up Ianto to the darkness he knew, even though a part of him suspected that death was so much more.

“Why don’t I show you to your room,” Jack suggested.

“I have my own room?”

Jack smirked, “Of course, it even has your old clothes.”

“How?”

“Gwen gave them to your sister and she was going to donate them, but I convinced her to give them to me.”

“She probably thought you’d lost your mind, sir.”

“I’m sure she did,” Jack smiled.

Ianto nodded, “A shower then and a change of clothes. Then you can show me around.”

“The universe or the Tardis?” Jack asked as they stood and began to head down a corridor.

“Both,” Ianto told him.

They didn’t have to go far before they were standing outside a door and Jack paused. Ianto laid a hand on Jack’s arm, “I won’t be long.”

Jack nodded. While a part of him wanted to push Ianto up against the door and kiss him senseless, pick back up right where they left off, he also knew that Ianto had been through a trauma, to say the least, and that there was a lot of information for his lover to take in.

Jack paused inside the door as Ianto went inside his room, went into the bathroom then seemingly satisfied walked out and gathered a new set of clothes. Ianto paused only to take him in, a look of worry on his face, before he closed the bathroom door.

Jack hesitated, then wondered why, he never hesitated and yet he felt as though he was walking on eggshells. It’ll be worth it when you have him back, he told himself.

Should he leave and come back? No, Ianto might need him.

Jack leaned against the wall as he listened to the shower run, listened to the change in tone as Ianto stepped inside. He waited because he’d already waited so long and what was a bit more time if he got Ianto back?

A choked off almost sob from the bathroom had Jack abandoning his idea of waiting. He shoved into the bathroom, stepped into the shower and pulled Ianto into his arms. Ianto’s arms wrapped around him as Ianto’s body sagged against his.

“I know,” Jack said, wrapping his arms tightly around Ianto, “It hurts.”

He tried running a soothing hand over Ianto’s back, tried in the movement to let him know to continue crying even as he could feel Ianto pulling back into himself.

“Your coat…”

Jack pulled Ianto closer, “You’re more important than a coat.”

“It’ll be important when I’m trying to fix it later,” Ianto teased as he picked himself up off of Jack.

Jack cupped his face, “Then I’ll lose the coat.”

“I don’t want you to lose the coat.”

Jack grinned, “This is a ridiculous conversation.”

“I did just come back from the dead,” Ianto pointed out as he shut the water off, “I think that entitles me to be a bit ridiculous.”

Jack reached for the towel and started drying Ianto’s face. Ianto snatched the towel from him and started drying his own face even as he pointed out, “You might need one too.”

Jack glanced down at himself and laughed, “Nah I can be wet for you.”

Ianto threw his towel at Jack and pushed pasted him, trying to hide the laughter on his face.

Jack grabbed his arm and pulled him back, “Wait, what’s wrong?”

“Jack,” Ianto complained.

“What’s wrong?” Jack repeated, before he pulled Ianto in again, “Yes, I understood you just came back from the…”

“Are you going to ask about it sir?” Ianto asked, coldness creeping into his voice, sadness settling into his eyes.

“Only if you want to talk about it?” Jack told him.

Ianto looked confused for a moment, “You don’t want to know all the details?”

“They’re not for me to know.”

“You’ve changed,” Ianto said.

Jack cupped Ianto’s face, “Is that why you think I brought you back, so I could find out what happens when you die?”

“I was thinking about my sister,” Ianto told him, “and realizing I can’t just show up because I’ll just disappear again.”

Jack opened his mouth to protest, but saw the look on Ianto’s face and wisely closed his mouth.

“It’d like to get dressed now,” Ianto said, “I had nearly finished my shower.”

“Right,” Jack agreed, then looked down at his soaked ensemble, “I’ll just go get changed myself and then I have something to show you.”

When Jack made his way back to Ianto’s room, having dried himself and changed his clothes it was to find the door open. He leaned in the door frame and watched as Ianto carefully rearranged the clothes in his wardrobe. Ianto glanced at him.

“Is that really what you think?” Jack asked.

“I haven’t decided what to think yet,” Ianto said.

Jack nodded, he could accept that, “I could show you why I brought you back.”

Ianto paused. Jack grinned. Ianto hung up the suit in his hand and turned, fully, to take Jack in. Jack smirked. Ianto raised his eyebrow.

Jack laughed, “Mentanop.”

“Mentanop?”

“It’s where we’ve landed and we’ve got about ten minutes to get outside so I can show you why we’re here.”

Ianto nodded his consent and the two of them left the Tardis, settling close to each other on the side of a cliff. The dark purple sky showed many stars winking at them, but slowly it shifted, lightened. Blue streaked in, followed by green and gold until the sky shifted into a deep blue slowly turning towards a pale purple.

Ianto turned his eyes onto Jack as he asked, “You brought me back to see a sunrise?”

“I brought you back so we could start with a sunrise.”

Ianto cupped Jack’s face, stared for a moment, taking the other man in.

“Good plan sir,” Ianto told him before leaning in and claiming a kiss.


End file.
